I think Lavarnway will learn to call a great game but I'd keep Tek on staff to help in that process and to catch Beckett. If Ortiz is gone, with Lavarnway slotting there mainly, we could carry 3 catchers. We would maybe gain 2 picks, lose a bunch of salary ( even multiple year salary requirements probably for Ortiz ) add value to Lavarnway, add a lot of roster flexibility and enhance our RH hitting lineup a little hopefully.

What are the contingencies if we test for HGH? Is that a factor in this equation?

Ortiz is not going to be the same player in most other parks. When they pitch him outside he will hit a lot more fly balls to LH than doubles and HR. I don't want to see him as a Yankee either but the Yanks have quite a few guys who are probably DH material in the near future. Arod? Montero? They may not add him.

The most logical course IMHO is for Ryna Lavarnway to spend much of 2012 catching in AAA. He will get more time there to polish his skills than he would in a platoon or worst yet a three catcher platoon where Tek was still the personal catcher of Becket and Ryna and Salty split duty on the other 4.

Even if Ryan Lavarnway's bat is MLB ready and he does not need anymore PAs in AAA, very few reports indicate hi game behind the plate is ready.

What a lot people miss in the rush to get Lavarnway's bat on the MLB 25 man roster IMHO is just how valuable that bat would be if he was the catcher for 125-130 games a season with that bat.

A typical response moon, and exactly what I mean about you not handling any criticism towards Tek or Wake well. Like I said before, we won't be keeping Tek on the team forever just because he is known for calling a good game.

Lavarnway needs to go to the Arizona Fall League and divide time between catcher and left field. Versatility is important and will allow him to be carried on the team next year as the third catcher. He's not Crawford and Ells fast but he probably is Cuddyer fast and capable of catching fly balls. Moving CC to RF next year and Lavarnway in LF would not be the worst outfield on the planet.

Wakefield have spent last two and half years trying to break Roger Clemens team record, and he have failed more than he succeeded. So once he get to 200 wins this year, and he is going to walk away. Why bother to keep him if he cant go past 6 innings about 80% of the time??

For Veritek, he should retire and become a team coach. One of the year Beckett is not going have Veritek as his personal catcher. So maybe it is the time to have Beckett to get a new personal catcher. If this catcher doesnt work out, then use the back up. Reason that Veritek got to go is he cant hit anymore!! It is like a waste of out!!

Either Boston use Lavangway as much they can or find an experience catcher who is willing to accept low reasonable contract via free agent.

lAVARNWAY DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE ENOUGH SPEED FOR RF. IF HE DID, THEY WOULD HAVE ADDITIONED HIM IN PAWTUCKET KNOWING JD IS GONE AFTER THIS YEAR!

I THINK TEK SHOULD BE SIGNED TO A MULTIPLE YEAR "PERSONAL SERVICES" CONTRACT. HE AND SALTY COULD START THE YEAR AS THE CATCHING DUO, WITH RYAN GROOMING IN PAWTUCKET. WHEN RYAN READY, HE MOVES UP WITH SALTY, AND TEK BECOMES A COACH. PAPI IS SIGNED TO 2 YR. CONTRACT.

lAVARNWAY DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE ENOUGH SPEED FOR RF. IF HE DID, THEY WOULD HAVE ADDITIONED HIM IN PAWTUCKET KNOWING JD IS GONE AFTER THIS YEAR! I THINK TEK SHOULD BE SIGNED TO A MULTIPLE YEAR "PERSONAL SERVICES" CONTRACT. HE AND SALTY COULD START THE YEAR AS THE CATCHING DUO, WITH RYAN GROOMING IN PAWTUCKET. WHEN RYAN READY, HE MOVES UP WITH SALTY, AND TEK BECOMES A COACH. PAPI IS SIGNED TO 2 YR. CONTRACT.Posted by REBEL

Start of 2012: Salty / Tek ... same as this year. Tek's cost is so reasonable vs. his team value and fan value too. If nothing else, he is an insurance policy of sorts.

By the end of the year may be another story. The only hesitation I have in saying this is that the RS seem very unlikely to disrespect Tek by cutting him mid-season. But the bottom line for me is this: if RL is crushing AAA and his catching skills can be considered MLB-level I can't see them keeping him in AAA until Sept 2012. Can you say DL/Coach?

Oh, and no way Ortiz is going anywhere unless his demands are completely unreasonable. The RS are not going to replace him with Lavarnway if Ortiz can be signed for something like 2/$20m.

1. Force Varitek to find out how few teams are willing to pay him much to be a backup catcher.

2. But even when Varitek sees no one is willing to pay much, force Varitek to catch for the Rays or other Siberia of baseball, or retire.

3. Catching is not the same deal as other position playing. Ideally, Salty would become the backup. They should do the winter ball thing and then have Lavarnway start the first 2 or 3 months catching everyday in AAA ball. Then, by around the middle of the season, they should call him up with the idea if he's doing well in AAA then they can make a decision whether he or Salty is going to be the long term future starting catcher.

4. They should acquire for one year cheap veteran but not too old strong and accurate arm and quick and agile moving defensive catcher for next year, to give Lavarnway time to see if he is going to be the starting catcher of the future and Salty the backup. If Salty put ups good enough total metrics to be starter, they simply need to look at Lavarnway at another postion, OF/DH/3rdC or decide which one of them to trade if they are both excelling at catcher.